Custom aquarium 2026: what makes up the price
Litres, glass thickness, bonding tech, cabinet and equipment. Real cost breakdown for 200 L, 500 L and 1500 L custom aquariums.
A 200 L catalogue aquarium — 12 000 ₽. A 200 L custom in Optiwhite with UV bonding — 38 000 ₽. The difference isn't marketing — it's different technology, different glass, different clarity. Here's the breakdown.
01Glass: 60% of cost
Standard float — thick edges look green. On a 60 cm tank you barely see it. On 120 cm with 12 mm glass, the water has a green tint.
Optiwhite — low-iron glass. 92% clarity vs 87% for float. Costs 35–40% more.
02Bonding: 25% of cost
Silicone — classic. 4–5 mm seam, yellows in 2–3 years, replace every 7–10 years. Cheaper.
UV bonding — Loctite 350 or Bohle VERIFIX. 0.1–0.3 mm seam, clear, doesn't yellow. Up to 35 MPa strength. 18–25% pricier, visually incomparable.
| Volume | Glass | Tech | 2026 price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 L (100×40×50) | Optiwhite 10 mm | UV bond | from 28 000 ₽ |
| 200 L (100×40×50) | float 10 mm | silicone | from 18 000 ₽ |
| 500 L (150×60×60) | Optiwhite 12 mm | UV bond | from 62 000 ₽ |
| 1000 L (200×60×80) | Optiwhite 15 mm | UV bond | from 124 000 ₽ |
| 1500 L (240×80×80) | Optiwhite 19 mm | UV bond | from 198 000 ₽ |
03Not included in base
- Cabinet stand — from 24 000 ₽ (stock) to 120 000 ₽ (designer)
- Equipment (filter, heater, lighting) — 30–80% of tank price
- Skimmer + sump for reef — adds 40–60%
- Delivery + fill-up — 8 000–18 000 ₽ by floor and volume
1000+ L = 1.2 tonnes on the floor. Check your slab. In 60-70s-era flats this exceeds rated load. Don't bluff — ask the building manager.
04This service at REAL GLASS
If you've read this far, the topic is probably relevant to a real project. We make aquariums and vitrines in-house in St. Petersburg, with a measure within 1–3 days, 1-year warranty and a fixed contract price. All numbers in this article come from our actual 2026 quotes.
For a project-specific estimate — see the service page or request a free on-site measure.
